Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that he understands the "certain neutrality" that Russia adheres to in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, given its status as a mediator and co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. The Armenian leader announced constant contacts with the presidents of the Russian Federation, France, and the US Secretary of State. Pashinyan also accused Turkey of inciting Azerbaijan to start a war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Russia is the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, a mediator and, due to its status, must maintain a certain neutrality. And this is understandable”, - Pashinyan said in an interview with Al Jazeera TV channel.
The prime minister denied accusations of cooling relations between Moscow and Yerevan. "The Russian authorities and the President [RF Vladimir] Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia, if necessary, will fulfill its obligations to the Republic of Armenia to ensure its security, " he added.
Commenting on relations with the West, Pashinyan said that he is in constant contact with the President of France, the US Secretary of State and the security adviser to the head of the White House. “In general, we are working to present the essence of what is happening to the international community,” - specified the Armenian leader.
Pashinyan added that without Turkey's instigation, Azerbaijan would not have started a war in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Prime Minister accused Ankara of recruiting mercenaries and terrorists and then transferring them to the conflict zone. "High-ranking Turkish servicemen are participating in the war against Karabakh, the Turkish armed forces are participating in the war against Karabakh, and I want to emphasize that this is by no means an accident," - he noted.
Earlier, Pashinyan sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking for help. In the text of the appeal, the Armenian leader noted that he wants to hold consultations between the states as soon as possible, at which it would be possible to discuss possible support from Moscow. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Russia will support Armenia if hostilities begin to take place on the territory of the republic.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh escalated on the morning of September 27. Baku and Yerevan accused each other of shelling border settlements, citing an attack from the opposite side as the cause of the conflict. Martial law has been declared in the countries and mobilization has been declared. The parties to the conflict several times reached ceasefire agreements, but they were violated several hours later.
